Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1995 record →
LOCATOR SWITCH ON SUNROOF FAILED CAUSING CABLES TO FAIL AND GUIDES TO BREAK. SUNROODF IS RARELY USED THIS FAILURE SHOULD NOT OCCUR. COST OF PARTS IS WAY OVERPRICED. SUNROOF REPAIR IS ESTIMATED AT $650.00 PLUS TAX. VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY ON TRANSMISSION IS FAILLING AS TRANSMISSION DELAYS AND SHIFTS HARD THROUGH THE GEARS. PART CONTROLS THE FLOW OF TRANSMISSION FLUID TO THE GEARS.
COPY OF E-MAIL TO SATURN: DEAR SATURN REPRESENTATIVE, MY HUSBAND AND I ARE CONSIDERING BUYING ANOTHER SATURN SL2. HOWEVER, WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY. MY PREVIOUS SL2 (1995, #[XXX]) WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY A CHEVY TAHOE ON 5/3/97. I WAS PUSHED INTO ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THAT VEHICLE (A TOYOTA) ENDED UP ON TOP OF MY SATURN. MY SL2 WAS A TOTAL LOSS. I SUSTAINED NECK AND BACK MUSCLE INJURIES. I CONTINUE TO UNDERGO TREATMENTS FOR RECURRING PAIN. THE CAB COMPARTMENT OF THE SL2 HELD UP WELL. HOWEVER, THE DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED AND FELL BACK AGAINST THE BACK SEAT. IT SEEMS THIS LACK OF SUPPORT MAY HAVE ADDED TO MY MUSCLE STRAIN. ALSO, THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. SHOULDN'T IT HAVE DEPLOYED AS THE SL2 WAS PUSHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT? ARE THESE DESIGN ISSUES OR WERE THEY POSSIBLY DEFECTS IN OUR CAR? WOULD THE '98 VEHICLES BE SAFER IN THESE RESPECTS? IF HELPFUL, WE COULD SEND PICTURES OF THE SL2 AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THANK YOU - [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
BRAKE ROTORS, DRUMS, PADS FAILED
WHILE DRIVING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. ALSO VEHICLE WAS LOSING 11/2 QUARTS PER OIL CHANGE. *AK
CONSUMER WAS IN A VERY BAD ACCIDENT. SHE WAS HIT BY A TRUCK GOING ABOUT 50 MPH. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND CONSUMER WAS INJURED. *AK
NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING HEAD ON COLLISION, SEAT BELTS DID NOT RESTRAIN PROPERLY CAUSING CONSUMER TO HIT HEAD.
BRAKES, PADS, ROTORS FAILED.
STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION DURING NORMAL BRAKING AT 30-40 MPH AND SEVERE VIBRATION DURING EMERGENCY BRAKING AT HIGHWAY SPPEDS.
TIMING CHAIN WORE PREMATURELY.
CONSUMER EXPERIENCING CONTINUOUS PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION SLAMMING INTO GEAR WHEN ENGAGED. THIS CONDITION BELIEVED TO CAUSE THE MOTOR MOUNTS TO COLLAPSE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
TIE ROD FAILURE ON PASSENGER SIDE.
HEAD GASKET CRACKED CAUSING FAILURE OF OTHER COMPONENTS. (QCAW)
PARKING BRAKE DID NOT FULLY DISENGAGE WHEN HANDLE WAS RELEASED, CAUSING OVERHEATING OF BRAKING SYSTEM LEADING TO BRAKE FAILURE.
WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WILL NOT GO UP OR DOWN. DEALER IS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
SEAT BACK COLLAPSED DURING VEHICLE COLLISION.
THE ALTERNATOR WORE OUT, DRAINING THE BATTERY. DEALER HAS A BACK ORDER OF THE ALTERNATORS. *AK
VEHICLE STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE HEAD-ON AT 40MPH AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.
WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE FUEL TANK COLLAPSED, CAUSING ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN, RESULTING IN VEHICLE STALLING. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN CARPORT, NOTICED FLUID ON THE GROUND UNDERNEATH. IT HAD STARTED TO LEAK TRANSMISSION FLUID. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP & THE MECHANIC SAID THAT IT WAS A GASKET & IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
EGR VALVE WAS STICKING CAUSING THE SES LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AND THE VEHICLE TO HESITATE/STALL.
POWER WINDOW MOTOR BURNED OUT.
WHENEVER BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE PEDAL PULSATES & STEERING WHEEL MOVES FROM SIDE TO SIDE. DEALER REPLACED RUSTED FRONT ROTORS & BINDING PADS. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK
ENGINE/IGNITION/COMPUTER/SPEEDOMER/CRUISE CONTROL/REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER: ELECRICAL WIRING/WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR/DRIVER'S SEAT LATCH AND PARKING BRAKE FAILED.
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON INTERSTATE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BROKE. WNER NOTES PEDAL IS MADE OF PVC TYPE MATERIAL. *AK
BUCKET SEAT BACKS COLLAPSED WHEN COLLISION OCCURRED, CAUSING INJURY.
STTERING RACK FAILURE. *AK
BRAKES FAILED CAUSING A COLLISION.
WHILE LEANING BACK IN DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBACK REST COLLAPSED, CAUSING OWNER TO FALL BACK SUDDENLY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP WHICH CAUSED THE SL1 TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT IN WET WEATHER THE VEHICLE SLIDES AND THE BRAKES WILL NOT CATCH. THE OWNER STATES THAT SINCE SHE HAD PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE SHE HAS BEEN HAVING BRAKE PROBLEMS. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM IN THE BRAKES. THE OWNER SAID THAT THE BRAKES WORK WHEN THE ROAD IS NOT WET, BUT ONCE THE ROAD IS WET THE BRAKES DO NOT WANT TO WORK, VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP. *AK
AIR BAG: PARKED AT LIGHT ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT SATURN IN THE BACK, CONSUMER HIT THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF HIM, TOTALING CAR. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
AFTER MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS REGARDING AMOUNT OF OIL VEHICLE WAS BURNING, THE ENGINE LOCKED UP DUE TO LACK OF OIL.
IGNITION ASSEMBLY FAILURE. *AK
TRANSMISSION JUMPS OUT OF THIRD/FOURTH GEARS. *AK
VALVE BODY IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING HESITATION AND LOUD NOISE.
WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE RIGHT FRONT SPINDLE FAILED, RESULTING IN VEHICLE LOSING THE WHEEL AND HITTING CURB. DRIVER'S AIR BAG ALSO DIDN'T DEPLOY. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
VEHICLE LOSES POWER AND MAKES NOISE DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE.
BRAKE PROBLEMS; INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 30-35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, DURING NORMAL BRAKING AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL TRAVELS TO THE FLOOR AND THERE IS NO BRAKES. THE DEALERSHIP IS NOT ABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVNG, THE VEHICLE JUST STOPPED COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SHOP, WHERE THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WERE REPLACED. OWNER STILL EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER, THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED AGAIN. THE ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED (3) TIMES WITHIN A (2) YEAR PERIOD. *AK
BRAKES FAILED.
THE DRIVER'S SEAT ADJUSTER FAILED, CAUSING SEAT TO BOTTOM OUT WHILE DRIVING.
REAR EXLE DISCONNECTED, CAUSING REAR TIRE TO FALL OFF, RESULTING IN A CRASH. *AK
WHEN AFTER SITTIN GOVERNIGHT, AND WHEN FIRST STARTING EARLY IN THE MORNING, THE THROTTLE WOULD STICK AND NOT RETURN. IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A BINDING CABLE. *AK
FRONT AIR FOIL DOES NOT HAVE CLEARANCE DURING THE PERIOD OF (JANUARY-FEBRUARY), SPRING LOADED HINGES ON THIS PIECE GAVE OUT AND THE AIR FOIL FELL AND DRAGGED ON THE GROUND, DEALER ADVISE IT TO REMOVE AIR FOIL AND RETURN IT BACK IN THE SPRING.
WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH HITTING A TREE HEAD ON, THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF EITHER AIR BAG. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK
WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND SHIFTING TRANSMISSION FROM 3RD TO 2ND GEAR, RPMS JUM FROM 1200 TO 1800, AND VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE. COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK
SUDDEN ACCELERATION IS ONGOING. WHEN SLOWING DOWN FOR A SIGNAL LIGHT THE VEHICLE JUMPS FROM ABOUT 1200 TO 1800 RPM, AND SOMETIMES IT WILL ACCELERATE WHILE THE FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. DURING THE ACCELERATION, THE BRAKE PEDAL IS TRYING TO COME BACK UP. *AK
ABS BRAKE FAILURE, UPON APPLYING PRESSURE, FRONT BRAKES PULSATE. *AK
CONSUMER HIT THE LEFT PART OF VEHICLE THAT RAN A RED LIGHT. SHOULDER STRAP FROM LEFT BENCH SEAT BECAME UNLATCHED, CAUSING CHILD IN CAR SEAT TO BE THROWN AGAINST FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT. DEALER CANNOT FIND SEAT BELT PROBLEM.
HEAD LIGHT STALK BROKE OFF.
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT 40MPH HIT TREE HEAD-ON AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S SIDE OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS. OWNER NOTES THAT IN HUMID WEATHER WINDOWS CANNOT BE CLEARED. *AK
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1995 Saturn SL → · Every SL year → · How the figures are calculated →